1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in eyeglass structures and more particularly to protective eyeglasses including a lens support with adjustable temple members which are easily and reliably adjustable to permit the eyeglasses to be adapted to the individual wearer to afford maximum comfort and protection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to provide eyeglasses with means for adjusting the inclination of the lenses, relative to the vertical, to accommodate the eyeglasses to the individual wearer""s face. Such arrangements commonly include a lens frame or hinge members adjustably mounted to the temple members for limited relative movement about a horizontal axis, or temple pieces which are formed with an adjustable, articulated joint at a location rearwardly of the lenses. Earlier adjustable eyeglasses of this type were generally relatively complicated and frequently involved a number of separate parts which were difficult and/or expensive to produce and assemble. Examples of such eyeglasses can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,846,018 and 3,947,100 and in German Patent No. 1,286,779.
Other, and generally more recent eyeglass constructions of this general type have included frames molded entirely of plastic materials and generally have involved a smaller number of assembled parts, but these known structures have suffered from other deficiencies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,291 discloses an arrangement in which the temple pieces are adjustably mounted on the lens frame without use of separate fasteners, but the adjustment of the lens frame was difficult to accomplish.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,165 discloses an eyeglass frame assembly in which the temple members are mounted to the lens frame by a universal hinge joint permitting relative movement about both a horizontal and a vertical axis, with pin members projecting through elongated serrated slots permitting the adjustment about the horizontal axis. In use, this arrangement can be relatively unstable so that unintended adjustment or relative movement can frequently occur.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,505 discloses a protective eyeglass construction in which the lens frame and temples are relatively adjustable about a horizontal axis by use of a two-piece temple hinge or joint with the two pieces being pivotally joined by a pin connection. An elongated tang or finger on one hinge piece has a pointed end acting as a detent which engages a serrated arcuate surface on the other piece to resiliently retain the hinge in its adjusted position. The arcuate serrated surface is formed on a thin, spring-like portion to permit deflection and reduce the tendency to strip the detent and/or serrations with use. Dimensioning the spring-like portion to provide the necessary resilience can result in looseness of the joint, while failure to provide the spring action can result in stripping of the detent and/or serrations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,038 discloses a molded plastic adjustable temple assembly for eyeglasses including a two piece snap together hinge joint having a horizontally extending cylindrical hinge pin on one piece dimensioned to receive a Cshaped clamp on the other to provide for angular adjustment of the lens frame relative to the temples. An axially extending detent finger on one piece engages an arcuate serrated surface on the other to retain the temples and lens frame in a selected position for adjustment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,536 and Design Patent No. 370,930 disclose connecting arrangements for attaching temple members to an eyewear lens.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pair of eyeglasses with an improved means for adjusting the lenses about a generally horizontal axis relative to the temple pieces of a pair of eyeglasses.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a pair of eyeglasses in which the temple members each have a first piece pivotally mounted to the lens frame or to a lens for movement about a vertical axis and a second piece mounted to the first for limited pivotal movement about a horizontal axis to permit angular adjustment of the lenses on the temples, with an improved means for resiliently retaining the two pieces in their relatively adjusted position.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved in a pair of eyeglasses, typically safety glasses, having lenses mounted in a lens frame and a pair of temple assemblies mounted one on each end portion of the lens frame. Each temple assembly includes a first piece having a front end mounted to the lens frame for pivotal movement about a vertical axis to permit folding of the glasses for carrying or storage, and a second piece having a front end pivotally mounted to the rear end of the first piece to provide a hinged joint permitting limited relative movement about a horizontal axis. One of the temple pieces has an integrally formed horizontal hinge pin having a cylindrical outer surface extending around at least a major portion of its outer periphery, a major portion of its outer periphery and the other temple piece has an integrally formed, generally C-shaped, open ended clamp portion adapted to be snapped over and releasably engage the hinge pin to retain the two pieces assembled in end-to-end relation while permitting limited relative rotation about the horizontal axis of the hinge pin.
A generally flat surface of one of the temple pieces has a plurality of ridges and/or grooves (hereinafter, grooves) formed thereon at a location spaced from the hinge pin. The flat surface preferably is on the inner surface of the associated temple member, i.e. the surface closest the wearer""s temple and preferably extends in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis of the hinge pin. An elongated springlike finger is integrally formed on the other temple piece and extends in the longitudinal direction of the temple assembly in overlaying relation to the grooves to releasably retain the two temple pieces in their adjusted position about the hinge axis. A flange is formed on the ends of the hinge pin to prevent axial movement of the C-shaped clamp thereon, and the resilient finger can be formed in a cut-out in one of the flanges. By forming the spring finger and grooves in the inner surfaces of the temple assemblies, they are invisible when the glasses are being worn.
By providing the detent on the ends of an elongated resilient finger which deflects to permit the detent to move over the grooves, stripping of the cooperating detent and grooves is substantially eliminated, thereby providing a longer lasting, more reliable adjusting means.
While the invention is generally described herein with reference to an embodiment in which the temple members are pivotally connected to the laterally extending end portions of a lens frame, it is to be understood that a lens frame, per se, is not required. Instead, the forward temple piece of the temple assemblies may be pivotally mounted one on each lateral end of a one-piece lense member, or one to each of two separate lense joined by a nose piece or the like, by use of a hinge member or other suitable connecting means. Accordingly, the terms xe2x80x9cframexe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9clens framexe2x80x9d, as used herein should be interpreted to include the structure for connecting and supporting the lens, or lenses, on the temple members.